Archive for August, 2008

Apologies for not updating regularly. From now on, I will endeavor to update as daily as possible (and once I get into a rhythm, the posts will pop up at around the same time). That being said, I would love to hear specific input from you readers about what content you like, what you think is mediocre and bad, etc. I would like this blog to be interactive rather than simply me posting things that I arbitrarily think are cool, so please, tell me what you’d like to see in the future, or even submit ideas to me about future posts. Many thanks.

So my holy grail of watches is probably a Panerai Luminor Marina, but until I have a few grand burning a hole in my pocket, I won’t have one around my wrist. What I like about Panerai is the design inspiration drawn from old U-Boat watches. So you can imagine my delight when I ran across these Tsovet watches which have all the maritime nods without the pricetag. Tsovet was started by David Bonaventura, who also founded Vestal. Vestal is nothing special to me, pretty much like a rehashed Nixon, but it seems that Bonaventura got something right when he did Tsovet. While it still feels a bit contrived, I can’t deny the aesthetics of the watches. More pictures and where to order after the fold.

Reverse graffiti is awesome. Basically, reverse graffiti artists make their art by removing dirt, grime, dust etc. that has built up over the years. This can be done with just some water and a clean rag or industrial cleaning material. Because the artists aren’t adding any additional paint, it isn’t considered illegal. Pioneer reverse graffiti artist Moose prefers to call it “clean tagging” or “grime writing” because the association with traditional graffiti carries a heavy social stigma. Personally, I love reverse graffiti because it turns the concept of graffiti upside down and really separates the artistic expression of graffiti from the vandalism. As Moose puts it: “Once you do this, you make people confront whether or not they like people cleaning walls or if they really have a problem with personal expression.” The video above is of a reverse graffiti artist in Sao Paolo who made a mural of skulls on the insides of tunnels to remind drivers of how toxic their emissions are. More examples of reverse graffiti and links to read more after the fold.

Ever think that a documentary about a font could be interesting? Well, this one is. Helvetica, by Gary Hustwit, is a film about the font created by a little-known Swiss designer in 1957, which has become one of the most popular and ubiquitous methods of communication today. This documentary isn’t for the typical moviegoer who demands explosions, action and drama drenched in superficial emotion. I would say that it’s for the more sophisticated viewer, but that’s just pretentious. Personally, I found it very entertaining and informative and I would argue that seeing this film has made me now, more than ever, interested in all aspects of design and aesthetics. More information and where to watch it after the fold.

With a simple twist, Hironao Tsuboi has transformed the standard incandescent lightbulb from something best covered up into a naked beauty. The appropriately named LampLamp looks like just a regular lightbulb, but is somehow lit while the clearly visible threading is not screwed into any power source. The mystery persists until you realize that there are actually two sets of connecting threads. Clear pictures of how it works and where you can buy it after the fold.

Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, released a 3 part series on the net called “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog,” starring Neil Patrick Harris. It was an instant hit, and if you haven’t heard about it yet, go watch it immediately. Harris plays an aspiring supervillain who falls in love with a girl, but vies for her affection with the city’s superhero. The rest is history–and brilliance. Shortly after it was fully released, it became exclusive to iTunes (for $4), but it is now available for viewing on Hulu for free (with brief advertisements). You can watch it here. If you do one thing with your free time today, it should be watching this.

More interior lighting goodness. This lamp is designed by Catherine Mui and consists of oakwood frames connected through a spine but able to rotate freely from each other along that axis. Depending on how much light you want, you can spread out the frames or line them up. Perfect for lighting up a small area, ambient lighting or just a conversation piece. Another view and where to buy after the fold.

I’ve been interested in interior lighting lately, and there are some really awesome (albeit expensive) ways to brighten up a room. Consistently a best seller in the MOMA store, the Block Lamp, designed by Harri Koskinen, certainly fits the bill. Inspired by industrial glass bricks, the lamp is very simply a naked bulb encased in two hand cast blocks of glass. It won’t fill the room with sunlight (it only accomodates a 25-watt candelabra bulb which isn’t included), but it will definitely set the mood. I think my favorite part of the lamp is the cord, covered in woven red shielding to prevent damage to it and will certainly stand out from all the other cables cluttering up your room (also comes in white and black). More pictures and a link to purchase after the fold.

If you haven’t seen this website yet, it’s pretty rad. The basic premise is simple: people post pictures of their outfits and can comment on or “hype” others’. I was thinking about starting a similar website, and then BAM… ran across this site. It started in March, so it’s only a few months old, but it’s got a dedicated and fast-growing community and a lot of people with style (greater amount of people without style, but that’s of no concern). It’s not all girls too, there are some guys, but the male style is rather… well let’s just say it’s a self-selecting pool of males for a website like this. Great place to find inspiration or judge people, your choice. It’s invite only right now but if you leave a comment wth your email address, I’ll shoot you one (and then delete your email address from the comment afterwards). Check it out.

Modeled after the gramophone and designed by Tristan Zimmerman, Science & Sons has released a speaker that doesn’t require batteries or a power cord. It is made entirely out of ceramic and works by passively amplifying the audio from your portable music device’s headphones to volumes up to 55 decibels (which is the equivalent of a normal conversation). Probably the most elegantly designed iPod speaker I’ve seen, but the price makes the Phonofone II prohibitive. There is a black version as well, but it is limited to 200 pieces and will run you $600. White, on the other hand, will only cost you $500. Time to pawn off your kidney. More pictures, including the limited black version and a diagram of how it works, as well as where you can burn your money, after the fold.